Script to populate location

Scenario: University with lots of buildings on two campuses (soon to be three). Some machines have descriptive names that clue us in to the device's location. Others simply have the serial number as the computer name. Eventually, as machines are replaced, the computer name will become more indicative of location. However, we would like to identify locations for our currently deployed machines.

We would like to push out a script that pops up a window asking "Where am I?" The form would have a drop down for campus, building, room. The data could go into a text file, email, anything really. But we will eventually need to massage that data into the K1000, either as inventory notes or as asset linkages.

Does anyone have any experience doing this kind of thing? What has worked best for you? What hasn't worked?

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A script like that would be outside the scope of the kbox, but I wonder how helpful it would be anyway.

If you require accuracy then I would evaluate how honest the responder is likely to be, how likely you are to get a response at all, how often they will make a mistake, and what your acceptable levels are. Walking around may not be desirable but if a high-level of accuracy is required then what option do you have?

Do you have a general idea of where machines are based on IP address? Username? Something else that might help you get started?

This would be a one-time use thing to help us initially populate the K1000 inventory. We would inform our faculty and staff that this would be taking place and include the procedure for responding to the questions. Any "unmanned" computers would be touched by our technicians. This would be a more automated way of linking the location entered to the device serial number (which would preferably be populated by the script). Nothing will replace a manual inventory but this should augment it.

Probably the better phrase is "Where is my home?" Our VLANs can span multiple buildings and buildings can have multiple VLANs, not to mention laptops moving around on wireless VLANs. That might be a start, especially for limiting deployment of this type of script. Usernames are also not very good as we have classroom and lab computers where any number of users are able to log in. Faculty can have an office in one building and teach in another.

Ideally we would like to generate a CSV to import associating each computer with a location. Then we can verify and maintain the K1000 with manual updates and spot checks.